| Architect |
A professional with a degree in building design, who will design, plan and produce detailed plans and drawings of your building/extension. An architect will work with the surveyor and builder advising them on the construction. |
| Architrave |
A decorative wooden trim or plaster moulding that forms a frame around a window or doorway. |
| Blockwork |
Pre-cast concrete blocks which are generally used to build the internal walls or outer skin of a cavity wall. |
| Building Regulations |
Set down by law, the Building Regulations are policed by the local council to ensure the health and safety of people in and around buildings. A building regulations inspection will take place at several key points during the construction of any building. Work may only continue if the inspector passes the work done to date. |
| Cavity Wall |
A wall built with two skins (layers) and insulation between to help prevent moisture build-up and retain heat. |
| Condensation |
Small water droplets that occur when warm air comes in contact with a cold surface, often a sign of insufficient insulation. |
| Cornice |
Decorative moulding along the interior join between the ceiling and the wall or at the top of an exterior wall. |
| Damp Proofing |
A paint on skin, plastic membrane or other form of treatment that prevents dampness or the effects of dampness. |
| Dry Lining |
Plasterboard or similar material is attached to wall mounted battens in place of plasterwork or prior to plasterwork for an improved finish. |
| Eaves |
The overhanging part of the roof. |
| Fascia |
The flat horizontal surface just below the edge of the roof. |
| Flashing |
The pieces of sheet metal (often lead) secured around the joints, chimneys and angles of a roof to prevent water penetration. |
| Footings |
The foundation of a building or wall. |
| Foundations |
Generally underground - the foundations transfer and distribute the weight of the building above evenly across the ground. |
| Fuse Box |
Central electrical box containing wires for each electrical circuit used in the house, that will cut out if the current running through exceeds safe levels. |
| Hardcore |
Rubble used to form the base of a concrete slab. |
| HIP (Home Information Pack) |
A HIP must be prepared by all house vendors prior to putting their house on the market, containing all the relevant information about the property. |
| Hip |
On the slope of a roof where the two angles meet. |
| Insulation |
'Padding' which can be made of fibreglass, wool and even recycled paper inserted into the wall cavity and loft to retain warmth in a property. |
| Joist |
A horizontal structural element usually timber to support floors, roofs or to form a ceiling. |
| Lintel |
A beam positioned above a window or door that supports the weight of the wall above it. |
| MDF (Medium Density Fibreboard) |
A stable wood-like substance used to make furniture, cupboards etc. |
| Membrane |
A thin painted skin or sheet used in damp proofing. |
| Mortar |
Generally a mix of sand, water and cement used to hold bricks or stones together. Old houses may need mortar to be mixed with lime rather than cement. |
| Mullion |
The vertical dividers between lights of a window - can be made from wood, metal or stone. |
| Padstone |
The weight-bearing stone that carries the end of a joist in a wall. |
| Parapet |
Low wall at the end of a balcony or roof. |
| Pendant Light |
Light fitting hanging from the ceiling. |
| Planning Permission |
Effectively this is a licence issued by the local council allowing the construction, alteration or extension of a building to which a range of conditions may be added. |
| Plasterboard |
Pre-prepared sheets of plaster sandwiched between paper which are nailed to battens to form internal walls. |
| Plasterwork |
Final skim of plaster that is applied to plasterboard prior to painting - also a term used for decorative plaster mouldings applied to ceilings or walls. |
| Purlin |
A large horizontal roof beam that supports the rafters. |
| Quantity Surveyor |
A trained professional responsible for estimating the materials required to build and complete a construction project. |
| Rafter |
Sloping beams in either wood or metal that run from a roof ridge to its edge to which the roofing materials are secured. |
| Rainwater Harvesting |
The collection of rainwater to use in the internal plumbing system for flushing toilets etc. |
| Render |
A thin layer of plaster on the outside of the building to cover the blockwork. |
| Reveal |
The side of a door or window. |
| Ring Main |
A circular of electrical wires round a building that carry electricity to sockets positioned on it. Power flows in both directions. |
| Rising Main |
The pipe that brings cold water to a building's cold water tank from the outside supply. |
| RSJ (Rolled Steel Joist) |
Now used as a general term for a heavy weight roof or wall support. |
| Rooflight |
Window inserted into the roof. |
| Septic Tank |
Underground collection tank for household sewage which separates liquid and solid waste allowing the former to drain into the surrounding earth. |
| Screed |
Smooth thin top layer on a concrete floor generally of sand and cement. |
| Snagging |
Final detailed check with any minor remedial fixing prior to sign off of building work. |
| Soffit |
The underside of the roof overhang or arch. |
| Specifications |
Detailed drawings, measurements and materials for a building against which the builder and quantity surveyor will provide a quote and which will form the basis of the construction. |
| Studwork |
Framework of timber to which plasterboard is affixed to create internal walls. |
| Structural Engineer |
A qualified professional who will assess the stability of the foundations as well as ensure the structural safety and stability of a building's design. |
| Subcontractors |
These are a team of specialists who provide a service for which the builder may not have their own in-house staff, but who will be employed and directed by the builder. |
| Superstructure |
The part of thebuilding that rises above the foundations. |
| Surveyor |
Professional trained to take accurate measurements and dimensions of land or buildings. |
| Transome |
Horizontal divisions between window panes. |
| Underpinning |
The restoration or extension of an existing building may require the strengthening of its foundations. This is done by digging out sections of the current foundations and infilling with concrete. |
| Wall Tie |
A piece of metal that holds the two faces of a cavity wall together. Designed to prevent moisture crossing the cavity. |
